Sure it's summer and it's hot, but... it's PIE and the fruit is fresh so break out the pie plates

MONTREAL - For a few years in summertime, I used to receive a box of organic vegetables once a week. I was always pretty excited to see what was on offer, until I realized I didn’t know what the heck half of the vegetables were. So accustomed was I to eating the same dozen or so summer favourites that when faced with a weird gourd, an elongated cabbage, some exceptionally large beans or scary looking mushrooms, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. About 10 years ago I recall receiving a box filled entirely of unfamiliar foods including a melon I was told I should boil and make into soup. What the …? And draped atop it all were a few dark leaves with colourful stems, “bette à carde,” the farmer told me. Yes, I thought, those somewhat bitter greens known in France as “les blettes.”

Popular in Provençal cuisine, Swiss chard is often served in a specialty tart of sorts known as a “tourte de blette,” in which these leafy greens are combined with apples, Parmesan, brown sugar, pine nuts, raisins, eau de vie, rum, eggs and olive oil. The mix is then layered between two sheets of pastry, baked until golden, and dusted with icing sugar. If ever there were an odd way to serve Swiss chard, this French classic would be it.

Yet it’s actually quite delicious, having tasted it at a market in Aix-en-Provence and, of all places, at a Provençal brunch at the Las Vegas restaurant Mix, hosted by Alain Ducasse.

I prefer my Swiss chard kept savoury, where it can be treated like spinach, simply blanched and sautéed with garlic. Yet when I mention Swiss chard to most adults, I get this “I hate Swiss chard” face.

Yes it can be bitter, or fibrous, or just plain dull. I bet it’s the army green colour it takes on when cooked that really turns people off. But the flavour is actually more refined than that of spinach, so it doesn’t quite make sense that so many people dislike Swiss chard.

I have a Swiss chard-challenged friend who recoiled when I said I was serving him Swiss chard rigatoni for dinner.

I first came up with the recipe when I ended up with a bag full of the pastel-coloured-stemmed greens that I used to enhance a tomato sauce, which turned out to be more about the chard than the tomatoes. With the addition of pine nuts for an extra layer of texture, this pasta dish shows off Swiss chard at its best.

He didn’t love it, but he liked it well enough to take Swiss chard off his hit list. I love it. And for a real treat, top it off with either a spoonful of fresh ricotta or a thick slice of buffalo mozzarella.

Swiss chard: Yum!

> Rigatoni with Swiss chard

Serves 4, generously

This sautéed Swiss chard can also be served as a side dish. Just leave out the pasta and serve as is. This recipe is also delicious when made with whole-wheat pasta.

1 ½ pounds Swiss chard, washed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium-sized red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-14 oz. (398 mL) can diced tomatoes

1 lb. rigatoni, penne or paccheri pasta

cup toasted pine nuts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Parmesan cheese and extra-virgin olive oil for serving

Bring two large pots of salted water to a boil. Slice the stems off the chard leaves, cut the longer ones in half, and reserve.

When water reaches a boil, add the stems to one pot, and cook three minutes (begin timing once the stems are added). Add the leaves and cook for five minutes more. Drain in colander, rinse under cold water until cool. Drain again, then squeeze in a clean dish towel to remove any excess liquid. Coarsely chop.

Add the pasta to the other pot of boiling water and set your timer according to the cooking time recommended on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Add chard and the can of tomato sauce; reduce heat to medium and cook five minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove one cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta. Add it to the Swiss chard mix along with the pine nuts, and sauté over high heat stirring until the mixture is homogeneous. Add a little pasta water, a tablespoon at a time if the sauce seems too thick.

Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.